Total births
10,578
Boys' name · since 1880
Nathanial
10,578 babies named Nathanial in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1999. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3694
- among boys today
- 10,578
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other boys
10,578 babies have been named Nathanial since 1880, making it today's #3694 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Nathanial recorded 10,578 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #3694 nationally today, ahead of 74% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3694 among boys today
- 10,578 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 74% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nathanial is currently the #3694 boys' name in America, more common than 74% of boys - 10,578 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3694
- among boys today
- 10,578
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other boys
Nathanial vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3694
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 74% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Nathanial was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
371 babies were named Nathanial in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Nathanial compares
10,578 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nathanial's all-time total is 29x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nathanial | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,578 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 371 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nathanial's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nathanial splits its recorded history at 1966: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1999 peak of 371 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nathanial at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#3,694
Active since
1880
Nathanial popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 371
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nathanial by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Nathanial's strongest decade.
2,997 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Nathanial births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 22
1900s
22 births
- 1910s 134
1910s
134 births
- 1920s 162
1920s
162 births
- 1930s 156
1930s
156 births
- 1940s 113
1940s
113 births
- 1950s 119
1950s
119 births
- 1960s 184
1960s
184 births
- 1970s 927
1970s
927 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,978 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,997 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,821 births
- 2010s 778
2010s
778 births
- 2020s 177
2020s
177 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,997 births (28% of all-time use).
How Nathanial compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nathanial's total volume
Nathanial vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nathanial by state
Where Nathanial concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 842 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 579 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 523 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 420 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 404 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 387 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 338 | 3.2% |
| #8 | New York | | 311 | 2.9% |
California share of Nathanial's total US births 8.0%
Even split
842 of 10,578 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Nathanial appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nathanial? ▼
10,578 babies have been named Nathanial since 1880. It currently ranks #3694 among boys. The peak year was 1999 with 371 births.
When was Nathanial most popular? ▼
Nathanial was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,997 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Nathanial most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nathanial are California (842 births), Ohio (579 births), Texas (523 births).
How long has the name Nathanial been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nathanial since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nathanial? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nathan, Nathaniel, Nathanael, Nathen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nathanial's data
- Nathanial's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,997 total births); usage has since declined to 177 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nathanials (842 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nathanial
Nearby Names Like Nathanial
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nathanial
Nathan Boy
#62 587,497 births
Nathaniel Boy
#144 287,103 births
Nathanael Boy
#674 22,227 births
Nathen Boy
#5255 6,146 births
Nate Boy
#1564 4,490 births
Compare Nathanial side by side: Nathanial vs Nathan Nathanial vs Nathaniel Nathanial vs Nathanael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nathanial
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nathanial: #3694 Boys' Name - 10,578 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nathanial. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nathanial draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.